Endpiece for slide fastener closures



May 31, 1949. A. SUSSKIND 2,471,461

END PIECE FOR SLIDE FASTENER CLOSURES Filed Jan. 8, 1944 INVENTQRAdhere/ Sziss/i'a'nd ATTORN EY Patented May 31, 1949 ENDPIECE FOR SLIDEFASTENER CLOSURES Albert Siisskind, Lugano-Cassarate, SwitzerlandApplication January 8, 1944, Serial No. 517,519% In Germany October 24,1935 9 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending applicationSer. Number 351,816, filed August 8, 1940, now abandoned, which in turnis a continuation of my copending application Ser. Number 106,049, filedOctober 16, 1936, now abandoned. The application is concerned withzipper end pieces as disclosed in said abandoned applications, adaptedto be firmly attached to the zipper tapes against longitudinal as wellas transversal displacement by abutting against zipper elements otherthan the last elements of the zippers and particularly by abuttingagainst those parts, i. e, the shanks, of said elements which areimmovably held by being clamped to said tapes.

The known end pieces are attached to the zippers by being clampeddirectly upon the fabric tapes which they engage and penetrate more orless by teeth or the like provided on said end pieces.

' This requires the use of rather thick and stifi metal for the endpieces and the use of special tools for their attachment. The inventiondispenses with these necessities. Thus the end pieces are attached tothe zipper indirectly by means of the firmly attached fastener elementsand, therefore, in spite of their thin material, as reliably as the oldtype end pieces.

' In the drawing some embodiments of the object of the invention areshown by Way of example. Fig. 1 is a plan of a flat blank for theproduction of an end piece for the open end of the zipper"; Fig. 2 is asimilar plan for a modified form of such an end piece;

Fig. 3 is a similar plan of an end piece for the closed end of a zipper;T Fig. 4A is a side view of a further modification of and substitute foran end piece for the closed end of a zipper; Fig. 4B is a perspective ofthe end piece of Fig. 4A in closed condition, zipper omitted; Fig. 5 isa plan view of a zipper with the end pieces of Figs. 1, 2, and 4;

-' Fig. 6 is a transversal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 isa longitudinal section on the line I-'I of Fi 5; Fig. 8 is alongitudinal section on the line 88 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a transversal section on the line 9-9 of 7 oFig. 11 is asection on the line lI-Il of Fig. 1

The blank shown in Fig. 1 consists of the two main parts H and I!connected by a bridge I3, thus forming a yoke. The part I I has arectangular opening or window l4, and the part l2 a similar opening l5.These openings are confined by the inner edges of webs l6, l1, l8 andI9, 20, 2|, respectively, and by the edges 22 and 23, respectively.

One side of the blank is provided with teeth or tongues 24, and theother side with corresponding notches 25.

At the upper end of the blank teeth 26 and 21 are provided.

For producing from this blank the end piece 26 shown in Fig. 5 the blankis folded into U-form along the dot and dash lines 29 and 30,

Before the end piece is completely closed it is put, in the manner shownin Fig. 5, upon one end of the tape 3| provided from end to end withfastener elements 32.

Advantageously at least part of the elements 32 are already inengagement with corresponding elements of a companion tape 34.Preferably first a long compound strip is produced consisting of twoindividual strips studded with elements from end to end withoutintermediate spaces, the elements of one of the latter strips engagingbetween the elements of the other of said strips. From this compoundstrip pieces of a length corresponding to the desired zippers are cut.

Having been put in place the U-shaped end piece is firmly pressedtogether, yielding not only along the longitudinal dot-and-dash lines 29and 36, but also along the transversal dot-and-dash lines 2, 222, 223,224.

Thereby the webs l8 and 2| engage the heads 35 of the elements ,32, andthe webs l6 and i9 engage behind and abut against the foot surfaces 36of the elements, overlapping said elements at this point, thereby actingas longitudinal abutments against transversal displacement of the endpiece, all as shown in Fig. 6.

The webs H and 2|! overlap and abut against the back surface 31 of thethird element from the top, and the surfaces 22 and 23 overlap and abutagainst the breast surfaces 38 of the topmost element, whereby all theseparts of the end piece act as transversal abutments against longtiudinaldisplacement of the end piece, all as shown in Fig. 7. r

The teeth 26 and 21, also bent at right angles, may be used for holdingan extension tab 33.

It is to be noted that in the embodiment of the invention just describedas weil as in all the embodiments to be described later the abutmentsabut against the element shanks 32l which are securely clamped to thetapes 3i, 34, and that the transversal abutments abut against suchshanks of elements which are remot from the end of the zipper. Thesefeatures are very important for the invention.

By the described overlappings, the end piece, in spite of the thin gaugeof its material, is reliably secured on the elements, against accidentaldisengagement, simultaneously in longitudinal as well as in transversaldirection without need for any means of direct connection with the tape.

For all the bending operations mere finger pressure is sufficient.

The blank shown in Fig. 2, for the production of the end piece 40 (Fig.consists of two main parts 4| and 42 connected by a bridge 43,

Extensions 44 and A5 are provided on the lower end of the blank to formtransversal abutments, extensions 46 and 41 at the outer edges andextensions 48 and 49 at the inner edges of the blank form longitudinalabutments.

Teeth 240, 260 and 210 and notches 250 are provided similar to Fig. land require no detailed description.

As a preparatory step all the extensions are bent through an angle of90, and theblank is bent into U-shape, all as indicated by thedot-and-dash lines 50, 5|, 52, 53, 54, 55, respectively, so that a boxlike structure, somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 4, is formed.

This structure is pressed home on the tape 34, as shown in Fig. 5; at40, in which operation it yields somewhat along the dot-and-dash lines22 l 222', which correspond to the lines 22l, 222 of Fig. 1.

The described extensions again overlap and abut against the shanks ofthe elements on so many sides that they in all directions reliablyprevent accidental disengagement.

The blank, shown in Fig. 3, consists of two main parts 56, 51, connectedby a bridge 58. The part 56 at its free end has a longitudinal short armor shank 59 with an inwardly projecting tooth 60 and a longitudinallonger arm or shank 6| with an inwardly projecting tooth 62.Correspondingly the part 51 at its free end has a short longitudinal armor shank 63 with tooth 64 and a longer longitudinal shank or arm 65 withtooth 66. Each arm or shank with its tooth forms what Icall an angularhook. The teeth of the hooks, thus, are offset longitudinally relativeto one another. The distance between the inner edges 61 and 58 of thearms 59 and 6 l, on the one hand, and between the inner edges 69 and Illof the arms 63 and 65, on the other hand, is a trifle larger than thecombined width of the interengaging elements 32. Teeth 26! are providedfor locking the end piece in folded condition.

For attaching this end piece to the closed end of the zipper," insteadof the end piece 83 of Fig. 5,

it is folded in U-form along the dot-and-dash" lines II and 12.

At the end of the operation the teeth 60, 62, 64,

66, enter into the free gaps between the outward foot surfaces and thusforming longitudinal abutments prevent any transversal displacement ofthe end piece.

Fig.4A shows in open and Fig. 4B in closed condition an end piece 14 inthe form of a flat box consisting of main parts 15, I6, bridge 11,lateral longitudinal flanges I8, 19, 83, 8|, forming longitudinalabutments against transversal displacement, and transversal flanges i.e. front flanges 82, 80, 84, forming transversal abutments againstlongitudinal displacement.

Fig. 5 shows this end piece 14 in applied condition.

The front flanges 82, 80, 84, 85 engage into the gaps between adjacentelements, and the lateral flanges 18, 19, 83, 8| overlap the footsurfaces of the elements so that any displacement is prevented, as shownin detail in Figs. 8 and 9. From Figs. 1, 4 and 8 it is to be seen thatthe transversal flanges 80, 95, 82, 84 have a distance from the bridge11 greater than the thickness of two elements. Consequently said flangesengage elements which are sufllciently remote from the end of the"zipper to secure a firm hold or anchorage.

What I claim is:

l. A zipper end piece comprising a substantially U-shaped body of thinsheet material adapted to be attached by mere finger pressure withoutneed for a tool, longitudinal abutments integral with said body adaptedto abut against a foot surface of fastener elements of a zipper andtransversal abutments also integral with said body adapted to abutagainst a. broadside surface of said elements in such a manner as toprevent, by said abutting, longitudinal as well as transversaldisplacement of the end piece, at least one of said transversalabutments having such a distance from the respective end of the zipperas to abut, in applied condition of the end piece, against at least thesecond element of the "zipper."

2. A zipper" end piece comprising a substantially U-shaped body of thinsheet material adapted to be bent and attached by mere finger pressurewithout need for a. tool, longitudinal abutments integral with saidbody, adapted to abut against a foot surface of fastener elements of azipper and transversal abutments also integral with said body, adaptedto abut against a broadside surface of said elements in such a manner asto prevent, by said abutting, longitudinal as well as transversaldisplacement of the end piece, at least one of said transversalabutments extending so close to the plane of one of said longitudinalabutments as to abut against a shank of an element.

3. A "zipper end piece comprising a substantially U-shaped body of thinsheet material adapted to be bent and attached by mere finger pressurewithout need for a tool, longitudinal abutments integral with said bodyadapted to abut against a foot surface of fastener elements of a "zipperand transversal abutments also integral with said body adapted to abutagainst a broadside surface of said elements in such a manner as toprevent, by said abutting, longitudinal as well as transversaldisplacement of the end piece, at least one of said transversalabutments having such a distance from the respective end of the zipper"as to abut, in applied condition of the end piece, against at least thesecond element of the zipper," at least one of said transversalabutments extending so close to the plane of one of said longitudinalabutments as to abut against a shank of an element.

4. An end piece as claimed in claim 3 for the open end of a zipper, saidtransversal abutments being separated by a distance corresponding to thelength of one element of the zipper.

5. An end piece for the closed end of a zipper, said end piececomprising two connected main parts forming together a substantiallyU-shaped body of thin sheet metal adapted to be bent and attached bymere finger pressure without need for a tool, longitudinal shanks at thefree end of each of said main parts at the outer sides of the latter,aninwardly directed tooth at the end of each of said shanks, thedistance between the inner edges of the longitudinal shanks of each mainpart corresponding to the distance between the foot surfaces ofinterengaged elements, the distance between the teeth of each pair ofshanks corresponding to the length of the overlapping parts ofinterengaged elements, and one of said longitudinal shanks being longerthan the other by an, amount corresponding to the thickness of oneelement, all said main parts, shanks and teeth forming an integralstructure.

6. An end piece for the closed end of a zipper, said end piececomprising two main parts connected by a bridge and longitudinal andtransversal flanges all integrally connected to form a flat box bentfrom a thin sheet of metal adapted to be bent and attached by merefinger pressure without need for a tool, said longitudinal flangeshaving a distance from one another slightly greater than the distancebetween the footsurfaces of the interengaged zipper elements.

7. An end piece for the closed end of a zipper, said end piececomprising two main parts connected by a bridge and longitudinal andtransversal flanges all integrally connected to form a flat box bentfrom a thin sheet of metal adapted to be bent and attached by merefinger pressure without need for a tool, said longitudinal flanges 6.having a distance from one another slightly greater than the distancebetween the foot surfaces of the interengaged zipper" elements and atleast one of said transversal flanges having from said bridge a distanceequal to the added thickness of at least two elements.

8. An end piece for the closed end of a zipper, said end piec comprisingtwo main parts connected by a bridge and longitudinal and transversalflanges all integrally connected to form a flat box bent from a thinsheet of metal adapted to be bent and attached by mere finger pressurewithout need for a tool, said longitudinal flanges having a distancefrom one another slightly greater than the distance between the footsurfaces of the interengaged zipper elements, and said transversalflanges having an opening big enough to receive those parts ofinterengaged elements which overlap one another.

9. An end piece for the closed end of a zipper having longitudinalabutments, adapted to abut against the foot surfaces of interengagedelements, and transversal abutments offset longitudinally relative toone another.

ALBERT siissmND.

REFERENfiES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

